Conversations with Nazrene Alsiro

Today we’d like to introduce you to Nazrene Alsiro.

Hi Nazrene, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I’ve always turned to art when words fall short. It’s been my way of tracing where I’ve been whether it’s through joy, uncertainty, and the long process of becoming whole again. I was born in Manila and grew up between Filipino and Palestinian cultures, learning early how layered identity can be and how art can hold what language sometimes can’t.
I studied and practiced fine art, slowly shaping a creative voice rooted in observation, memory, and emotion. My work moves between the personal and the political, exploring how intimacy and collective experience intertwine. It’s less about documenting one story and more about finding connection in many. These days, I balance my studio practice with teaching science at Global Village Project, a school for refugee girls in Decatur. Teaching, for me, feels like another form of art it’s about curiosity, empathy, and creating room for transformation. Both in the classroom and the studio, I try to remind myself and others that healing is not linear, but it’s always possible.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Definitely not a smooth road but I don’t think it’s supposed to be. For me, art and life have both been processes of unlearning, breaking down, and starting over. There were seasons where I felt completely disconnected from myself, where I had to rebuild my sense of direction and worth from the ground up. Learning to slow down and care for myself changed everything. It gave me room to listen, to be present, and to make work that feels honest instead of performative. That same lesson carries into teaching, too. Working with refugee girls, I’m reminded every day how resilience looks different for everyone, sometimes it’s loud and visible, other times it’s quiet and steady. I think struggle, for me, has become a teacher. It’s softened how I move through the world and deepened the way I connect to others both in art and in life.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
My work lives somewhere between painting, sculpture, and film photography. It shifts depending on what I’m feeling or trying to understand. Each piece starts from an emotion and usually a moment I can’t quite name yet then becomes a way of tracing that feeling until it makes sense visually. Much of my work explores the space between beauty and decay, how something broken can still hold light. What connects everything I make is a desire to document tenderness and to show that vulnerability and strength can exist in the same moment. I often draw from my cultural background and personal experiences, but I’m equally drawn to the quiet, universal moments of being human. What I’m most proud of isn’t a specific piece or exhibition I’ve done but it’s that I kept creating through every season of my life. I feel guilt if I don’t. Art became a way to stay alive to myself, to process, to heal. My work isn’t about perfection it’s about being honest even when it’s uncomfortable. I think what makes it mine is that it’s never calculated at first it’s just me trying to make meaning out of things .

What do you like and dislike about the city?
What I love most about Atlanta is the people, the sense of togetherness here feels real. There’s so much creativity and care, it’s like everyone’s building something or trying to make things better in their own way. I love that art, food, and activism all blend together here. It’s messy but full of heart!
What I like least is how fast everything’s changing. Even in just the three years since I moved back, it feels like the city’s growing in a way that sometimes forgets the people who made it what it is. I hate seeing neighborhoods become so expensive for the communities that built them. I just wish growth didn’t have to mean losing what makes this place feel like home. Also the obvious traffic! Better public transportation, please. The BeltLine is great, but it’s also making things more expensive.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.nazrenealsiro.com
• Instagram: nazvisions

Image Credits
Not applicable